Snap lock closure for a rectangular container



Aug. 9, 1960 c. v. GRKSETTI' r-rrAL 2,948,456

' I SNAP LOCK CLOSURE FOR A RECTANGULAR CONTAINER Filed Jari. s, 1959FIGJ amass X 62/5577? 37 iirmzeh c'r.

United States Pate SNAP LOCK CLOSURE FOR A RECTANGULAR CONTAINER FiledJan. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 785,621 2 Claims. 01129-39 The invention relatesbroadly to an improvement in a snap lock closure for containersconstructed of solid to one half the width of the container.

fibreboard, corrugated fibreboard or any other suitable material. Moreparticularly the snap lock closure com- -prises a pair of novel opposedside wall, partially overlapping, bottom flaps in cooperation with apair of novel opposed end wall flaps, whereby the snap lock closure ofthe container is formed by forcing either pair of opposed flaps inwardlyover the other pair until portions of the inner pair of flaps extendpast portions of the outer pair of flaps and upon release of the inwardpressure snap into locking engagement at substantially a right angularrelation to the walls of the container.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a snap lock closurethat may be easily engaged and will be sufficiently secure to supportthe weight of relatively heavy articles, which are packed in thecontainer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container closure whichcan be easily closed and secured without the use of staples, adhesives,tape, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snap lock closurecomprising novelly designed opposed pairs of closure flaps hinged to theside of the container that may be engaged by forcing the side flapsinwardly over the end flaps, or by forcing the end flaps inwardly overthe side flaps; either method producing the same locking effect.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsiblecontainer from a single blank which has a snap lock closure formed fromopposed pairs of novelly designed flaps integral with the side and endpanels of the container.

Another. object of the invention is to provide a snap lock closure for acontainer comprising partially overlapping side panel flaps whereby thesupporting strength of the closure may be varied by the amount of boardthat is used in the overlapping portions of said side panel flaps, thatis, the greater the amount of board that overlaps the greater theretaining strength of the bottom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon a full and complete understanding of theconstruction of the container. The accompanying drawings illustrate apreferred embodiment of the invention and form a part of thespecification. Like numerals and symbols therein appearing refer to likeparts wherever they occur.

Fig. l is a plan view of a preferred form of the blank from which thecontainer is formed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container partially assembled.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container, bottom upward, showingthe bottom side flaps turned inwardly prior to locking.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the container showing the bottom endflaps in position prior to locking.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container after the closure has beenlocked in place.

2,948,456 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 Fig. 6 is a sectional side view alongline 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The blank for a preferred form of the container, illustrated in planform in Fig. 1, comprises vertical side wall panels 20 and vertical endwall panels 21 and a glue or stitch flap 22 hingedly connected in sideby side relation by vertical scores 23 and defined by horizontal scores24 and 24. Hinged to horizontal flap score 24 are side flaps 25 and endflaps 26. The side flaps 25 are substantially equal in over all lengthtothe length of the container. The width of the side flaps from point 27to 28 is equal to half the width of the container plus an additionalamount which forms the overlapping section of the side flaps 25' of thesnap lock closure. This additional amount may be varied froma'relatively small section to overlapping sections equal The externalfree horizontal edge of the side flap overlapping sections 257 extendsfrom point 28 to point 29, the latter point being substantially at themid-width of the side flaps 25. The edge line between points 29--30 runsperpendicularly to the edge line 28-29 to point 30, said point 30 beinga distance of one half the width of the container from the score line24. From point 30 the marginal edge of the side flaps 25 extend in aline parallel to score line 24 to point 31. Point 31 is substantiallythe same distance from an extension of vertical score line 23, as thelength of end flaps 26. From point 31 the edge line of the side flaps 25is cut diagonally at approximately a 45 angle, to point 32, contiguousto the corner of the side wall formed by the juncture of scores 23 and24.

End flaps 26 are both substantially equal in over all width to the widthof the container. Their length from point 33 to point 34 is of adistance substantially equal to one half the width of the container andfrom 34 to point 35 the distance is also substantially equal to one halfthe containers width. From point 35, the edge is cut diagonally atapproximately a 45 angle to point 36, contiguous to the corner of theend wall formed by the juncture of the scores 23 and 24.

After the manufacturers joint has been made by stitching or gluing thestitch or glue flap 22 to the remote end panel 21 as illustrated in Fig.2, or by means of a taped manufacturers joint (not illustrated), thesnap lock may be closed by forcing side flaps 25 inwardly along scorelines 24 so that they are in substantially a face to face relation withside panels 20, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and forcing the end flaps 26inwardly over the side flaps 25 as illustrated in Fig. 4 until thestraight edges 33-34 of the end flaps 26 have extended past the diagonaledges 31--32 of the side flaps 25. When the applied inward pressure isreleased from end panels 26, the four panels will snap into a lockedposition in substantially a right angular relation to the side walls asillustrated in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, whereby the areas of the end flaps 26bounded by edges 33--34-35 and diagonally back to 33, are overlapped byareas of the side flaps 25. The areas of the side flaps 25 designated by25 are interlocked at point 30 so that they are covered by a portion ofthe side flaps 25 and a portion of the end flaps 26. The width of thisarea designated as 25 may be varied in accordance with the strengthrequirements for the container closure; that is, for maximum strengththis overlapping area can be extended to a width substantially equal toone half the width of the container, or in a situation where relativelylight weight articles are so packaged the width of this area may be assmall as an inch or less.

It is to be understood that the embodiments herein described, areillustrative and not restrictive, and it is also to be understood thatthe invention may be susceptible in other modified forms, and that allsuch modifications which are similar to or equivalent to come equallywithin the scope of the claims next appearing.

We claim:

1. A blank of foldable material for forming a rectangular container witha snap lock closure comprising opposed pairs of side and end wallshingedly connected by vertical corner score lines; said blank includingpairs of opposed side and end wall flaps substantially the width of therespectiveside and end Walls joined to the lower edges of the walls by ahorizontal hinge line, the two opposed end flaps each havingcorresponding side edges cut diagonally from substantially the mid-widthor" the outer edges thereof to the juncture of the flap hinge line andthe vertical corner score line and two op posed side flaps having thesides which are adjacent to the vertical side edges of the end flaps cutdiagonally inwardly from the juncture of the vertical corner score lineand the hinge line'to a point on the outer marginal edge thereof that isrecessed toward the opposite side edges of the flaps to a distancesubstantially equal to the length of the end flaps and substantially onehalf the Width of the container thence the marginal edge extending in aline substantially parallel to the horizontal hinge line to a point atthe approximate mid-width of the said side flaps and from that pointextending outwardly in a line substantially parallel to the verticalside edges of said side flaps for a distance of not more than one halfthe width of the container, thence extending in substantially a lineparallel to the horizontal hinge line to the vertical marginal side'edgeof the said flaps and thence in a line substantially parallel to thevertical corner score lines extending toward and terminating at thehorizontal hinge line.

2. The blank setforth and claimed in claim l wherein the diagonal sideedges of the opposed side and end wall flaps are formed at substantially45 angles to the horizontal hinge lines of the flaps, thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,769,183 Laubenheimer July 1, 1930 2,327,709 Himes Aug. 24, 19432,332,250 OReilly Oct. 19, 1943 2,713,965 Acker July 26, 1955 2,733,832Newton Feb. 7, 1956

